Thank you coming up

Åfter rehab in Ruidoso, NW playing 18 holes of golf for two days, eating great food at Cornerstone Bakery (359 Sudderth Drive, in Ruidoso) several times. The food is wonderful but the pies are to die for. The crust! Out of the world.

Okay, back to my train of thought.

The more I think about it our tour would not be complete without a "Thank You" to and our hosts and the nameless helpers that gave us places to sleep, eat, shower (yes, that was a wonderful experience when it happened) and meals to go.

Might even throw in a few other thanks.

I'm in the process, be it ever so slow, of going back and putting a Thank You together for and to them.

Hope you are are rested, happy and our health is great.

Coming soon.

"Thank You"

John Madden

Lueve

My Waterloo.

After the Eiffel Tower I had mixed feelings about the Lueve.

Would it be the attack of junk hawkers like the tower or the cultural, artistic, historical museum I had always heard about?

As the bus entered an underground parking place my mind hoped it would be the later.

No junk hawkers anywhere in sight, but we still had to exit the bus. Our long walk up stairs (have I mentioned I have developed at hate for stairs?), walking along an ancient wall and into an area of modern I felt a relaxation and an additional wonder.



Modern in the Lueve?

It was only a passage of shops reaching out to tickle your interest so as to dig into your credit card.

Suddenly you're in a room with an upside down pyramid. It's beautiful!



So many times during our tour we were struck with awe, beauty, amazement, surprise, mouth-dropping sights, and more historical reality than we had ever seen.

We were about to take that step again. Into the Lueve. History awaits us.



I'm an artist. Many people don't look at photography as an art form, but it is. If I had penny, no make that a nickel, for every time someone has looked at my work, asked about the price and then said "I have a camera, I can do that." I'd be a lot closer to being rich.

I smile and say something like, great or good and let it go at that. Sometimes I'm asked "How long did it take you to take that photo?" and I say "All my life."

When pushed into a probing conversation, I tell them to go find that place, wait for that scene, capture that moment, frame it before you take it, composition is vital, remember the rule of thirds, lighting, background, depth of field, horiznal vs vertical, see what no one else sees, lead the viewer into the piece, take more photos and then take more than that, travel to as many places as possible knowing you're probably not going to make any money on most trips, expenses will be greater than income for years, and spend your life developing your eye.

Somewhere, very early in the conversation, I lost them cause they have a camera and can take that picture.

So going to the Lueve was high on my "yes, list."

The herd moved forward. We had our tickets, went through security, and milled around tilled it was decided to divide into three groups of twenty.

Volley number one.



My new - good friend (whom I will talk about in my last update called "Thoughts" Doc and his grandson Lance) stood ready like a race horse to fill his mind with the Lueve.



Unknown to me this photo was very important. Why?

I'm in the Lueve, art is everywhere, it's an artistic Christmas, an artists holiday and my camera battery says "Sorry dude but no more go juice." What, this can't be, I'm at the Lueve and photos are allowed and my battery is dead!

Then I remember I didn't have a chance to recharge my battery last night. Surely this can't be happening. I look and it has captured 894 photos and apparently that was over my time limit.

Volley number two.

Okay, no problem, not the best choice but I have my iPhone and it has a camera. Drawing it out like an old west gunfighter I raise it as I frame a photo.

Click. No picture. You guessed it dead battery. Again my speedy brilliant mind puts two and two together that it if I didn't get to charge my camera battery I also didn't get to charge my iPhone.

Volley number three.

As these frustrations flood me they are joined by the responsibility of trying to herd a group of 20 plus, an interpreter that was hard to understand, from point A to point B in a given time frame.

Much like trying to push a rope uphill or herd cats.

Volley number four.

As our guide moved us through the Lueve our group began to spread out like spilt
milk and as interested as staying together as the two warring armies. No they were not warring, just tired, wanting to find a place to sit (note: chairs and or places to sit in the Lueve are far and few between). They wanted to find some air conditioning and just have time that was theirs to do what they wanted.

Volley number five.

I talked to our guide and agreed to one more exhibit. The Mona Lisa.

Of course, why not after all I didn't have a camera to capture one of the most
historical pieces of art work in the world. Let's go and see it.

The crowd around it was akin to bystanders watching something you could only see from the eye in the sky. It's breathtaking, small, and awesome.

Some of my small herd try to part the crowd and get a few photos. Finally I get our guide to take us back to the upside down pyramid. We have some time before the whole herd gathers so our small herd gets time to do what ever they want.

Billie, Malinda and I grab a bite to eat, something to drink (there were THREE pieces of ice in my diet-coke: ICE!) and find a table to rest our bones. Slowly the herd begins to gather and before to long we start the journey back to our bus.

Walking down more stairs (I hate stairs) my left knee pops like a gun being shot.

Volley number six.

Helped back to the bus I focus on "tonight we're at the Radisson--a hotel, bed, shower and time to recoup."

Neal offers to gather my luggage train of three, backpack, and get them to my assigned room. We find it and he offers to come get them in the morning so I can board the bus to the airport and home.

He tells me "John, you've made it this far, you can do it." I smiled, thanked him for his help (did I tell you Neal was always watching and helping anyone at anytime and I don't remember hearing anyone asking or telling him to do so). This young man has been raised in a very good way.

As an adult - an elder aren't I suppose to be giving him a pep talk and encouraging him?

I spend the evening recovering, repacking, showering, not leaving the room so I wouldn't risk any more knee surprises and sleep.

In the morning my knee is better. I make it downstairs with my repacked luggage train, find a chair and focus on two bus rides, three airports, two planes and home.



As we ride to the airport we see history.



We arrive at the airport.



After we unload from the bus we begin what we know and do so well. Wait, move luggage, wait and move luggage.





The Lueve was my Waterloo, but I was still in the game.

These are the last of my 4,500 plus photos of our tour. We danced before 6,291 people, sharing our dances, talent of our dancers, support of our adults, prayers from parents, family and friends at home, made new friends, saw things, places and sites most people will never see, while being part of a chosen family.

My last post will be a combination of thoughts and other worthless things. Hope you stay with me to the end.

As before I invite anyone wanting an outstanding performance by outstanding Boy and Girl Scout to contact Charles at Kwahadi.com.

John Madden

We’re flying high to Shannon Ireland.

Well not just yet, as the first leg was a “Road Trip” (in our bus) to
Camp Wisdom. it’s right in the big middle of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.



The first thing that we got was the unwelcome and uninvited reality of humidity Texas style. It embraced us with its heavy arms of “Hello welcome to my den” around us and started to wring the dry West Texas out of us. It worked on me.

In no time I looked a drowned rat.

Most of the others faired much better or at least their t-shirts didn’t look like a they had just come out of the wash.

After a night in the humidity den we boarded our bus and headed for McD’s and breakfeast. Coffee was on most of the adults minds and we needed it to kick start our hearts.

As 99% of the youth I’ve ever been privileged to work with ours, took everything in stirde and never missed a lick. These kids are the cream of the crop and all their parents should be extremely proud of them.

On a personal note, my brother and sister-in-laws, Bill Don and Vicki came by to see me, give me a hug and wish us goodbye and a wonderful trip. Family is wonderful.

We procceded to DFW and our search for Continential Airlines. After circling the roadways,we decided we had missed ours and headed back where we came from. Don't know if we There were more suitcases, backpacks, duffle bags and such than most armies travel with.

Making our way up the escalator holding on to our bags was a test in human determination, at least for me.

The unwanted humidity found us, again, and we had to pay homage to its demands. So much mositure esaping just doesn’t look good on me, especially when it bleeds through my new gift-travel t-shirt from Kristi Russell, Virgina Garland and Linda Wilson. “Dancing Our Way Across the UK” with every ones names on it. How cool is that? Thank you Ladies!




“Passports, give me your passports" Dustin said and we did. So they could start processing our tickets.

Hey, hey, this is about to be real.

We passed inspection and all were passed on into the inter sanctom of the airport. Our gate, #8, was right in front of us and all we had to do was wait. This four letter word will get a lot use before this tour is over.

Food, some wanted and found food. Some stood around knowing sitting was going to be our mode of travel for many a day. Others had things to read, games to play, people to watch and time to wait.

We boarded our flight, pilot got the okay to taxi, we moved into line to wait our turn. Before too long the roar of our jet threw us into the air as if we had been shot out of a giant sling shot.

It’s interesting that when you’ve done something many times you forget the thrill of the first time. I had the opportunity to sit with Ryan and Colin on their first flight. It was neat seeing them so full of excitement, wonder, and enjoyment as we flew.

Everything was new. When was the last time you saw that in someones eyes or felt that feeling yourself? It made, no gave me, the opportunity to enjoy the flight even more.

As we flew into Newark, NJ we saw the skyline of New York City, the Empire State building and the Statute of Liberty. What a picture and I was as transfixed as everyone. My camera was resting below my seat! I’m a photographer and suppose to capture moments like that. I did, but only in my memory.

Two gates later we boarded and started our long flight across the Atlantic. It was dark when we flew over it and games, movies, sleep and no sleep keep every one busy.

Ireland....we landed. This is real!

It is so beautiful and I'll post more photos later. This is the first time
we've had internet and thanks to Philip Sheeran it's happening, from his house. Thank you Philip.

Tony is our bus driver and after some anxious times he finds us about the same timed we find him. What a bus. A double-decker and it has air conditioning.

We saw the cliffs of Moher and they are fantastic. It started to rain, not much but enough to round up our herd and head them back to the bus.



The Renmore Scout hut is in sight.

We unloaded, they feed us, we changed into our regalia (the weather was a concern--as we've learned it rains in Ireland).

A man told Mike "This is a passing shower, but it may take a day or two to pass." Tis true.


The Spanish Arch, which is 500 years old, on the bank of the Corrib River was the site of our first performance. It was as they say, "a grand show" of over 200 plus people of all ages.

All the tired, lack of sleep and jet lag didn't keep the Kwahadis from giving more than 100% and the crowd loved them. People stayed and visited, Kwahadi Dancers handed out collector photo cards, thanks to the Big Red, and many an autograph was asked for and given.

Another great step in people knowing the Kwahadi Dancers.

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It was a great way to start our tour. The crowd was wonderful, the Kwahadi put their all into it and friends were made, fans were made and photos were taken.

What a great day, we're tired, got some showers and most are asleep as I write.

Tomorrow we kiss the Blarney Stone and put on another show. If we can find access, we'll post, if not we'll have to wait to find a place like now.

Hope you enjoyed our days, our travels and tell others about us. We love to be talked about.

Dancing for Food we go forth.

John Madden

We left yesterday -- in two weeks!

Times racing by. As if this writing we, the Kwahadi Dancers, left yesterday ( in two weeks, thanks for reminding me Charles - I was just getting in the mood and my mind didn't stop to check what I wrote), Sunday, July 19th at 1 PM from Amarillo headed towards the Redbird Armory in Dallas. We will have spent the night, had a healthy breakfast at McDonalds, near DFW, check in at Continental Airlines and leave on flight 1136 ( Boeing 737-500 is the bottom photo ) at 12:45 PM for Newark, NJ.

A mere 3 hours - 45 minutes and 1,372 miles later we'll land at Newark. Wonder what the movie will be? Wait, what about the meal? What will it be?

At 7:25 PM we board Continental flight 24 ( Boeing 757-200 is the top photo ), depart Newark and head for Shannon Airport in Ireland. Do you know it takes 6 hours - 35 minutes to fly that 3,096 miles? So a movie, a sleep over and we're there? Well kind of.

Okay, check you watch and move it FORWARD 6 hours.

Finding food at the airport will be our first European adventure. This will be important!

Nine AM finds us boarding Marshall Coach Company and departing for Galway. On the way we'll visit the Cliffs of Moher (and another test of finding food), depart to see The Burren before arriving at the Renmore Scout Den in Renmore, Galway. Our host is Eamon Hartley.

After an evening meal we'll perform our first show at the Scout Den.

This is going to be such a blast, so much fun, work, opportunity to meet new friends, see so much of the beauty of Ireland, Scotland, UK and Paris.

How can you not join us for a tour?

Come on aboard the Kwahadi Dancers European Tour 09.

John Madden

I Stand Corrected, Thanks Matt

Howdy

I got an email from Matt Visel concerning my posting of the Sahawe Indian Dancers today and wanted to pass it along.

Thanks Matt for letting me know.

So, folks go see the Sahawe Indian Dancers, you'll see an outstanding show, have a great time and met some talented kids.

John Madden


Howdy Mr. Madden,

I am writing this email out of appreciation and to notify you of a misunderstanding.

The Sahawe Indian Dancers are not going on the European tour. However, Myself and Colin Lawson, both former Sahawe Dancers, are. There has been a wave of misunderstanding on this subject spreading through our small town.

Actually, while Colin and I are touring in Europe, the Sahawes will be holding their feature performances for the year, The Annual Sahawe Summer Ceremonials, back here at home.

I do appreciate you taking the initiative of notifying the media of our upcoming overseas adventures, I just thought it would be well to let you know of the miscommunication.

I'm looking forward to meeting you and Joining all the Kwahadis again for a great adventure!

Sincerely,
Matt Visel

Ireland, Scotand and UK come see the Kwahadi Dancers. Bring your cameras and be ready to be entertained.

Sahawe and Kossa Dancers joining Kwahadis on Tour

The Sahawe Indian Dancers were originally founded in 1950 as the Comanche Club Indians by Scoutmaster of Troop 81 in Uvalde, Texas, Joe W. Williams, as a program for older boys in scouting. Mr. Williams had read about a similar program in La Junta, Colorado, known as the Koshare Indian Dancers, and their Buck Burshears. Mr. William and Mr. Burshears corresponded for some time about the possibilities of starting such an Indian dance group in Uvalde. The name of the group was changed to Sahawe Indian Dancers in 1952.

Their first performance was a three minute dance for a Boy Scout Camporee held on the Nueces River, south of Uvalde,Texas. The group had no idea that it would grow into a full time project. Following that performance, they received calls to dance again and again. Several months after that first performance, they were invited to represent the Concho Valley Council, BSA, at a Scout Circus in Ft. Worth, Texas in the Will Rogers Coliseum before 14,000 people.

During the past 50 years several hundred boys have gone through the Sahawe program performing over 2000 shows. They have been designated as Uvalde’s “Ambassadors of Good Will” and were selected as Uvalde’s #1 tourist attractions by the Texas Travel Writers.

The Sahawe organization is made up of boys and girls ranging from the 5th grade through high school and beyond. Many former members still perform with the group when their schedule permits.

Along with their Sahawe activities, the boys are also active in their schools, churches, and other activities. Many excel in athletics, band, scholastics, and 4-H, winning local, area, and state awards. It takes great dedication to juggle all of these activities.

They have danced at the 2007 and 2008 Comache Homecoming Pow Wow in Walters, Oklahoma. at Sultan Park.

The Kossa Dancers began in 1969 as West-Cal Chapter of the Order of the Arrow Dance Team. Over the next few years, the team grew, produced 27 state champion dance teams, two bi-state champion dance teams, and placed in the top three teams in the United States twice. The team was voted the most authentic team in the nation at the National Order of the Arrow Conference, the first team to ever win this award.

In 1983, the decision was made to form an Explorer Post, for youth who wanted to study and perform in more depth. Kossa Dancers will perform for any area organization for a nominal fee to cover expenses. Over the years, the group has included many Eagle Scouts, a number of whom are still active within the organization.

In December 1991, Kossa Plaza was opened, giving the group its own dance theatre for youth. The Plaza, located in Sulphur, La., features a large oval stage. At one end is a wide stair way and wall, modeled after a kiva of an actual pueblo. At the other end is a pueblo village of several stories. Dancers can enter the performance area from the stairway or from ladders down the pueblo wall. The building also includes a Trading Post and numerous works of art done by natives of the Southwest.

The year 2003 brought the introduction of the Red Cactus Flower Dancers into the Kossa organization. At the Winter show in February 2005, a training team was formed of younger boys and girls, to begin getting them ready to move into the dance team when they progress and age enough to be able to dance and travel with the older members.

The Kossa's have traveled nation-wide to perform with their friends the Koshare, Kwahadi and Sahawe Indian Dancers.

Come join us, take the tour with us and see Ireland, Scotland, UK and Paris through our Eyes.

John Madden

Waiting to dance

Howdy. That's a West Texas greeting. I'm John Madden, proud associate advisor for the Kwahadi Dancers. My dress (we call it regalia) is a Straight Dancer.

The Straight Dance, sometimes referred to as Southern Traditional, is the formal and original dance of most of the Oklahoma tribes, including the Ponca, Osage, Kiowa, Comanche, Kaw, and many others. It is a dignified style, where the men who dance it keep a steady, flowing pace that is not interrupted with fancy moves or extra footwork. Because of its slow place, some people believe that it is an old man's dance, but this is not the case. There are many fine Straight Dancers in the Oklahoma area, ranging in age from ten to eighty. Some of the best places for Straight Dancers to go include the Ponca Hethuska and the Kiowa Tia-piah Society's Dance. The Ponca Hethuska is held twice a year in the town of White Eagle, Oklahoma, once in April and once in October. It is a formal war dance, meaning that it follows the old ways, and has many strict rules that must be adhered to. There, every dancer is required to dance every dance for the duration of the war dance, which is very tiring. The Kiowa Tia Piah Society holds their annual dance at Carnegie, OK over the Fourth of July. This dance is also excellent place to see Gourd Dancing.

I'm also a Gourd Dancer and will tell you about that later.

I'm Cheokee, adpoted into the Comanche, Tewa and Lakota, plus Scots/Irish.

Come see the Kwahadi Dancers. You'll have a great time, get to take once-in-a-lifetime photos, see outstanding dancing and meet extremely wonderful young men and young women.

The KWAHADI DANCERS.

Thank you,

John Madden

The Burren in County Clarke, Ireland

What a trip, we'll visit The Burren in County Clarke, Ireland.

The name Burren is from the Irish - bhoireann meaning a stony place. Its formation has lain unspoiled since the ice-age and is composed of karstic limestone, the largest area of such in western Europe.

It is a place of surprise and delight to botanists, archaeologists and ecologists alike and occupies an area of approximately 300 sq. kilometres. The area itself is very bleak in appearance with glacial soil loss at a maximum. However is does have sufficient soil to grow a wide variety of the most unusual and rarest of plants, many of them strange bedfellows.

This area has some of the finest archaeological megalithic tombs in Ireland, if not in Western Europe. There are relics of human habitation dating back almost 6000 years and the most famous is the vortal tomb, or portal dolman, at Poulnabrone. In this area alone there are more than 60 wedge tombs and the densest concentration in Ireland. There are also numerous examples of raths (earthen ring forts) and stone cashels. This area is also rich in historical ecclesiastical sites

Come along and travel with us, see what we see, go where we go, do what we do, see how kids, Boy and Girl Scouts, from West Texas and The Panhandle of Texas represent the area, region, State of Texas, family, Scouting and themselves. You'll be PROUD!

July 23, 2009

We'll be in the Dungarvan area, near Waterford, Ireland for the second day. Check out: www.abbeysidessoutgroup.com. You'll see Baden-Powell. Who's that? Check out the site and see. He's the reason Scouting is Scouting.



Know anything about Brownsea Island? It's where Scouting started.







The 23rd will be our fifth day out and 4th in Ireland. I'm looking forward to Ireland so much. My family came from there and it'll be a unbelievable thrill for me to step on Irish soil. How about, you? Any Irish in your family? What is your heritage? Find out and keep up with it. The next day we'll go to Belfast. Wow, how cool is that!

Check us out. Keep up with us.

Cliffs-Moher

The cliffs of Moher are located just south of the Village of Doolin in Co Clare Ireland. Rising slowly from Doolin they ascend to over 700 feet (213 metres) stretching south for nearly five miles (8km) to Hags head. Make a stop at the Cliffs of Moher part of your Ireland Tour.

We visit the cliffs Tuesday, July 21. Check out the site (http://www.cliffs-moher.com/index.php), see what we have to look forward to and hop on the blog to follow us.

http://www.john.maddenphotography.com